I'm convinced one of Satan's most successful schemes against God's people is in blinding us to the importance and relevance of spending time studying the Scriptures. God's Word is invaluable. It is a far greater treasure than anything this world has to offer yet many treat it as though it has no worth. Instead of investing time studying the Bible, it is left unopened and gathering dust. Whether it is because of busyness, complacency, or just a lack of awareness, believers miss out on the benefit of growing in their relationship with the Lord when they do not cherish and abide in, His Word.

Satan's primary objective is to prevent Christians from appropriating all that is rightfully ours as God's children. He wants us to live spiritually bankrupt and destitute lives and one of the ways in which he goes about accomplishing that is by keeping us from studying God's Word. It is simple really: If we don't know who we are or who our God is, then we will miss out on what He wants to do in and through our lives. God has given us a surpassing treasure according to the riches of His glory'we have every spiritual blessing in Christ. But unless we are grounded in biblical truth, we are destined to be ineffective for the gospel in this world. However, when we make time to study the Bible our lives are enriched and established upon the sure foundation of His Word.

What treasure does the Word of God have to offer you? Let me give you a description of the riches that God has for those who study the Bible. I've heard Psalm 19:7-10 paraphrased like this, "The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries." We have to develop the same heart of the psalmist who says in Psalm 119:162, ?I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.?

1. It assures you of your salvation (1 John 5:13)

2. It guides you with your decisions (Psalm 119:105)

3. It gives you confidence in prayer (John 15:7)

4. It cleanses you from sin (John 15:3 / John 17:17)

5. It brings joy (John 15:11)

6. It gives you peace (John 16:33)

7. It makes you strong (1 John 2:14)

8. It leads to success (Joshua 1:8)

In addition to getting to know the God who created us, studying the Bible also helps us to learn about ourselves, and the world in which we live. Answers to all of life's biggest questions are found in God's Word. Such as:

? Who am I?

? Why am I here?

? Where did I come from?

? Where am I going?

? What should I do with my life?

? What is my relationship to God?

The Bible answers all of these questions and so much more: it is our Creator's revelation to us. When we understand this, we will begin to rightly esteem its value and importance in our daily lives. We will also view the time we spend in God's Word as the most vital part of our days and guard that time from being disturbed by the constant stream of distractions that make up our modern lives. Ringing cell phones and never-ending emails are always clamoring for our immediate attention, but as we discipline ourselves to set time aside to study God's Word we will realize that intrusions such as these will be better handled after we have spent time with the Lord. What are you waiting for? Open your Bibles and find your reward! Are you unsure of how to study the Bible? You can learn forty easy to do Bible study methods by visiting